I first met Chicago based contortionist and burlesque performer Dahlia Fatale this year whilst at the Burlesque Hall Of Fame Weekender in Las Vegas and, honestly, I can’t put into words how delightful Dahlia is in person. Having bumped into her in the hallway on the very first day of vending, she was a contagious ball of positivity throughout the entire weekend. She also won the very well deserved title of Best Debut during the 29th Annual Tournament Of Tease on the Saturday night!
Dahlia Fatale can also be found in STRIP/TEASE, my new coffee table book published by Working Class Publishing. Want to know more about Dahlia Fatale? Read on…
Dahlia Fatale
Describe your burlesque persona in exactly 5 words: mind bending, dance making entertainer
Tell us about your best ever burlesque moment. What happened? Who was there? This is a really hard question to answer. I feel like the best burlesque moments for me happen when I am in small groups or one on one with other performers, talking about creating and learning about each other. Burlesque has brought me to so many artistic and interesting humans, that it’s impossible to pick just one experience. Therefore, I guess burlesque has been the best burlesque moment for me. Everything has happened, and all of the humans I could imagine would ever inspire me have been there.
Name three things that you always carry with you: Water (seriously, my car is a bottle graveyard), phone, safety pins
What inspired your burlesque journey? Originally I fell into it as a dancer in the alt pin-up world in Seattle, but I really fell in love with burlesque when I came to Chicago and saw all that was possible. I wanted to be a part of the world of the performers I saw on stage. Once I started taking burlesque seriously, that was it, and I can’t imagine my life without it.
Who would play you in a movie of your life? Gillian Anderson, I always aspired to have her badassery when I grew up.
What’s the most interesting thing about you that the internet doesn’t know about you yet? Some of the internet knows this already, but I’m super fascinated by science, dietetics and public health policy. I get an absurd amount of joy by busting myths and misinformation with SCIENCE!
Tell us about your shoot experience with Tigz! I was on stage and didn’t know it was happening until Tigz sent me the images and I basically fell off the bed in awe of her captures!
What song gets you on the dance floor? Anything in the Salt N Pepa collection. My heart can’t take it standing still.
Best achievement or moment that you’re most proud of in your career? Winning Best Debut at BHOF 2019 was an amazing and entirely unexpected experience. To have that recognition in front of my peers is something that I will never be able to forget.
What is your top striptease tip? Take it slow and breathe, remember that a performance is an exchange between you and the audience, let them enjoy you and remember to enjoy them in return!
If you could be a model for any brand, which brand would it be and why? BodyZone. Those G-strings are made of magic and keep everything in place.
What will your autobiography be called? Well That Just Happened: The Dahlia Fatale Story
What exciting project are you working on right now? I’ve got a new act in the works that I’m super excited about; and I’ve been working on curriculum with Chicago Academy of Burlesque that I’m really excited to teach. Plus there’s a spring tour in the works that has me going places I’ve never been before. Keep your eyes peeled. It’s going to be a wild 2020.
Favourite burlesque festival/show to perform at? Show-Me Burlesque Festival. Lola Van Ella and team work so hard to create a weekend rich with experiences. I always see so many memorable performers, and that stage is made of magic.
Most inspirational/memorable performer you’ve seen? I was brought to tears watching Laurie Hagan perform live last year. I have watched her Reverse Strip video 1000 times, and seeing it in person was life changing in every way.
Pre-Order your copy of STRIP | TEASE from Friday 18th October 2019.
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